On Tuesday delegates representing over 17,000 secondary teachers called on the Government to make a second offer before paid union meetings begin on November 7.

PPTA president Jack Boyle says the rejected offer, which can be viewed here, "doesn't touch the sides of addressing the problem".

"Secondary schools are facing an unprecedented shortage of the trained, expert quality teachers that our young people need," he says.

"We can't accept this offer - it would leave secondary teaching on the downward trajectory that it's been on for the last decade, with the attractiveness and sustainability of this great profession being eroded further."

He says the PPTA will continue to negotiate with the Government "in good faith", but if a second offer does not come or is deemed inadequate, union members will vote on industrial action.